Method of directly producing pig iron and steel



Aug- 22, 1944 J. LoHsE 2,356,524

METHOD 0F DIRECTLY PRODUCING PIG IRON AND STEEL l Original Filed Oct. 26., 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. l-.oHsE

Aug. 222, 1944.

METHOD OF DECTL PRODUCIN-G PIG-IRON AND STEEL original Filea oct. 26, 1940 .S-Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 22, 1944. y` LOHSE METHOD OF DIRECTLY PRODUCING PIG IRON A ND STEEL 3 Sheets-Sheet .3

Original Filed Oct. 26, 1940 Patented Aug.'22, 1944 METHOD OF DIRECTLY ERODUCING PIG IRON AND STEEL Julius Lohse,4 Berlin-Wilmersdorf, Germany; vested inthe Alien Property Custodian original application october 2 6, 1940, serial No. 363,041. yDivided and this application July 14, 1941, serial No. 402,276. In Germany April 4,

\ y 8 Claims.

My present application constitutes a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 363,041 filed October 26, 1940, patented March 14, 1944, No. 2,344,440. 'Ihe invention disclosed in my present application relates to a method for directly producing pig iron and steel from ores, and has for its object to provide improvements according to which a finished product may be made by applying operations that follow one another in a continuous process.

Thepresent invention eliminates the many drawbacks attendant upon the production of pig iron and steel by the present known methods, by producing pig iron and steel in a single plant and in closely interrelated operations from material prepared by predrying, roasting, sintering,

etc., both fine and coarse'material being heated and in a reducing iiame and smelted to form pig iron and slag. While smelting is going on and material accumulates, slag is continually removed and the liquid iron below the slag drawn off in the form of a shallow stream and, if steel is to be made, fined through ari interchangeable converting zone, desulphurized still more and dephosphorized.

By having all operations directly follow one vanother in the order mentioned and carrying them out in a chamber through which ame heat continuously passes the carrying out of the process is greatly facilitated, principally because ofthe freedom from heat losses such as occur in those processes where the procedure involves transferring the molten mass in open receptacles from one treatment chamber to another. According to my invention, each operation in this arrangement is so adjusted and timed to all others that iron may be continuously produced from pretreated coarse and fine charges. From the point of view of both thermal economy and continuous plant operation, one operation is related to the other, so that by the proper adjustment of quantity and speed high quality of the nal product is insured. The smelting and rening method according to my invention is initiated by smelting in one or more ames which rotate in a direction oppof sitely to that of the furnace and thus sweep along the furnace Wall, the screened ne stuff being fed to the burner and the coarse material charged directly to the hearth.

- The application of a long and continually rotating flame prevents the wall of the furnace from being destroyed by a `ilamejet having a ilxed direction and also causes, together with the radiant heat of thefurnace,v resmelting and refrom centrifugal action as a -result of the rotation of the furnace. Due to the inclination of the furnace, the molten mass slowly moves inthe direction of the next operation. In this way, steady discharge of the liquid material is effected without subjecting the furnace wall to excessive stresses or causing obstructions to form through cooling and caking of deposits. The molten masses accruing from the furnace walls and the metallic drops produced by the flames are collected along the lowest line of the inclined furnace and to the thin bath the preheated coarse charge material is directly added, as stated, and is quickly smelted under the triple effect of the action of the flame, heat. radiation, and heat transmission from the furnace wall until pig iron and slag are produced and collected in special compartments.

sequent chamber of the rotary furnace plant.

Here, the slag is owed otl, and the pig iron is passed in a shallow stream over a drum unit fitted with nozzles where it is blown during its passage and then collects in a connecting rotary refining chamber which may be equipped with special, for instance electric inductive, heating.

From the charge to the nished product the production of pig iron and steel proceeds uninterruptedly without heat losses'and without requiring hinterposed conveying operations.

In further evolution of my invention it is possible to include also the pretreatment of the ores comprising the predrying, roasting, calcining and reducing operations, in the continuous process and thereby to extend the thermal and manufacturing advantages afforded by my processJ to the necessary preliminary treatment steps enumerated. With this object in view. the multidrum rotary furnace plant on which my process is based is developed so that the interconnected revolving drums are arranged partly in parallel relation and partly on a common axis. The further steps-of the process consist inv subjecting the ores with the aid of an auxiliary burner in a rotary furnace, to drying, roasting, calcining,

then reduction by the continual addition of coal,

conveying the pretreated ores in an uninterrupted stream to the smelting chamber through a closed transition chamber' within which any caked portion of the material may be broken up,

moval of cak'ed deposits whichA tend to form 55 and then successively smelting it, removing the slag therefrom, rening it, recarburizing it under the action of superheat, and alloying the product if desired. Due`to the fact that the heat to be expended for pretreatment in the parallel arranged rotary drum passes through a closed path,` particularly in asv much as the heat is retainedA developing in the predrying chamber and the carbon dioxide gases produced in the reduction chamber, from the reduced ore, andto prevent them from reacting upon the ore and thus causing reoxidation, provisions are made to remove them at once and to pass them for further utilization of their heat to a waste heat vessel, etc. The arrangement may further be such that below the disinte'grator disposed in the. closed transition chamber, a connecting pipe leads to the coal dust pipe opening into the main burner so as to cause the powdered particles leaving the disintegrator to be directly drawn into the flame by suction eilect produced in the main burner.`

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows an axial longitudinal section of a rotary furnace plant for carrying out the method according to my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections along the lines II-II and III-UI, respectively, of' Fig. l;

Fig. 4 shows a rotary'furnace plant according to my invention including the pretreating steps:`

Fig. 5 is 'a cross section alng the une v-v,

terialbelow mm. is ground in a suitableiine grinding mill, not shown. to cement nneness and is blown to the lateral tube I of the burner 2. Having been thoroughly mixed in a burner nozzle l with compressed air of 5,-6 atmospheres pres- A sure, and heating oil of 40 atmospheres pressure,

or fuel gas of a pressure of 5-6 atmospheres, the ne material is thrown, for instance, by means of a rapidly revolving worm, not shown, into the f heater I running on roller or ball bearings 5 and rotated bymeans of an electric motor 6. The

wall ofthe heater 4 is provided with a highly refractory lining and possesses channels 1 like the vanes ofa turbine into which the gases -are directed, whereby whirling flames are produced which pass along the slowly revolving refractory brick lining of thepresmelter 8, so that the heat is mainlytransmitted by contact, and radiation however,'chemicophysical actions and phenomena within the flameitseIf, suchffor instance. as the escape of water of crystallization, the combustion of the sulphide sulphur'to form sul# phurous acid, the release of carbonic acid as a. result of calcination, and decomposition of the fuel oil, and the reduction of the metals present, .\since".the\ operation proceeds without excess air. Finally, metal droplets covered by slag form'in theilames 0f the presmelter 8, drop to the inbottom thereof and run oil'. Simultaneously, the granular-material of 30-10 from a storage hopper I through a pendulum'feeder Il and im?! shovel II to a drying and preheating Jacket I2 of thev presmelter y8, and after dropping into the latter through a wide slot I3, is heated from above and below by the very hot furnace walls 6 and the radiating flames and generally treated in the manner described above, but at the speed of the slowly moving furnace and not at that of the gas stream. The length of the presmelter 8 is designed 'forl operation at furnace speed, l0 which is facilitated and rendered free from trouble by a regular motor drive Il and the long flame produced by the burner. At the overflow lip of the presmelter 8 the molten masses iiow into the second 'furnace unit comprising two sections, viz. l5 a, collector and a mixer I 5 and a purifying cornpartment I6, the collector and mixer I5 being of sumcient size and depth to insure sharp, separation of slag and pig iron. The slag floats on g top of the molten iron and continually flows, as at I1, over the edge of the tapered end of the collector I5 into cars which convey the slag to a waste-dump, though it is also possible to provide in known manner for granulation by air or water. A taphole I'I'is provided to permit discharge of the pig iron to a bed near the furnace, if a portion ofthe accruing pig iron is to be sold as' pigs. 'I'he taphole I1 is of importance also in case of needed repairs to provide for quick removal of l the accumulated iron prior to moving. the members I5 a'd I8 by means of the travelling platforms I8a,- -I 8b. 'I'he pig iron which has' been thor-` oughlylheated in the collector lI5I and thoroughly mixed due-to the rotation of the drum driven Y by a motor I9, gradually rises toa certain level and 'ows through channels Ita preferablyof square section and Provided in the dam stone partitilon and leading into the lining compart- The compartment It is formed to have annu-- l lar stone corrugations 20 provided withnozzles and also a terminal lipped corrugation 20a. These corrugations 20 form an inner terraced vals open into a large number of nozzle holes 2I. Around the portion having the nozzle holes is 'an outer furnace jacket made of strong boiler `plate which is correspondingly perforated and "on its outside turned and ground over a certain 5 width. This ground surface is surrounded by a two-part cast iron wind box 22 provided with stuillng boxes 23 and a supply connection 23a.

for air, air enriched in oxygen, etc. The perforated portion of the outer furnace jacket is covered to the extent of approximately three-fourths of its circumferenceby a thin resilient steel band 24 lwhich is lightly forced against the rotating furnace jacket underneath by springs 2G. The

Ilaand over the annular channels formed be'- tween the corrugations 2l, arranged one below Athe other in terrace fashion, in a uniform thin 'l0 stream and is vsubjected from beloww the acbe supplied to the tuyres by acompressor of 'an Y face for the furnace shell, and the corrugations form annular channels which at regular inter-- lipped endlor terminalcorrugation 20a guides 'the 00 pigv iron into the third space 20 In which retin-.- has only. an indirect eifect. There is produced,

' tion of a blast of air rich in oxygen which ma! Il completely. eliminated through the `action ofv oxygennand in the same way phosphorus is removed. The waste gases may be utilized in the usual way for heating purposes. Finely ground lime powder may be blown into the tuyres in known manner, whereby calcium sulphide or calcium phosphates will be formed. The slag together 'with the decarburized steel iloats to the third furnace space and after an electro-ther- Y maltreatment designed to remove traces of phosphorus and sulphur is discharged through a tap-A `ber may be uncoupled and drawn out as far as medium or high frequency. The metal bath is heated from above by the burner gases, from the side by the radiation of the revolving front face of .the furnace and from below by the induced bottom currents. i

With the aid of this device chemico-metallurgical rening can be performed as in the known induction furnaces with respect to recarburization and the production of alloy steels. Substances required for refining are introduced through a door 33 below which an auxiliary taphole 34 with spout is provided, though a finished charge is usually discharged by turning the fur-l nace in a clockwise direction, seen from the front,

whereas during the heating and iilling turning in the other direction yis required, as indicated in Fig. 3. Automatic discharge for pouring, or filling iron molds placed on a casting bogie.'is ef` fected for instance by means of a worm 35 built up of highly refractory hollow bricks and inserted in the end wall in the form of an Archi-medean spiral. The worm 53 discharges into a conical outlet pipe 36, also consisting of a refractory material and exchangeably arranged in a waste h'eat connection 31 which does not participate in the,

rotation. A nap 38 normally closes-up the outlet 3B. The elbow 3l may be connected to a waste heat boiler not shown and equipped with induced draft chimney and ue dust catcher. The casting worm 35 and the discharge pipe 3S are uniformly heated from/the furnace because oi' their position so as to avoid harmful elongation. The heating of the furnace space 26 by fuel gases and bottom currents effects a perceptible saving in current compared with all types of known elec- A tricfurnaces, which saving is due to the arrangement of the three furnace spaces in the manner described to form a unitary structure.,

The not inconsiderable amounts of Waste heat can be utilized for boiler operation or in any other suitable manner.

The rotary furnace plant shown in Figs. 4 and the upper end of the lower series of drums is tted -5 embraces, in addition'to the production of pig iron and steel, the pretreatment of the ores.

The upper furnace drum A serves for pretreating the fine and coarse ores, and the lower vdirectly connected drums B, C and D arranged on a common axis are used for obtaining the finished product. The upper and lower 4drums are connected by 'a closed transition chamber E. At the upper end ofthe drum vA an auxiliary burner F and a rotating dame head G are provided, and

with a. main burner H adapted to be rotated and swung. 'I'hose parts of this furnace plant serving for the direct production of the finished product from pretreated ores have been described already in connection with Figs. 1-3.

The pretreating drum A is supplied with ne ore from the hopper 4| through the burner F and with coarser material from the hopper 42 through the rotating ame head G. Due tothe action of the flame ofthe auxiliary burner F, the fine and coarse orespass into the drying, roasting and calcining zone of a chamber 43 integral with, and leading into. a chamber 44 of enlarged diameter, in which a reducing zone is formed. At the point of transition between these two zones 43 and 44 reduction coal is supplied by a device which, as can be particularly clearly seen in Fig. 5 comprises a helical track 60 connected with the outer circumference of the drum A, opening with a radial orice outside.the drum A and, during rotation thereof, passing through a filling receptacle 5|. An opening 62 of the track 50 at the other end lies within the inner wall of the drum A. When thelatter revolves in the direction of the arrow, the helical channel 60 on passing through the receptacle 6I picks up reduction coal which, during further rotation of the drum moves through the opposite openingY 62 under theore bed in the drum A, which bed gradually advancesfrom the `higher to the lower end of the drum. 'Ihe length of the reducing chamber 44 is so dimensioned relative to that of the roasting and calcining chamber 43 that a continuous sequence of operations up to the contracted outlet end 45 of -the reducing chamber 44 is obtained, the latter opening with interposed sealing means 46, into a closed chamber E. The chamber E is movably supported on rails 41 and is fitted below with a redisintegrator 48 and a down pipe 49 which com- `xnunicates with the preheating space of the presmelting furnace B through an annular entering member 5!) provided with packing means 50a. The gases formed in the reduction furnace A carry valuable waste heat and are guided through a pipe 5l to the combustion space of a waste heat boiler 52', and the protective arch 5Ia vserves for preventing reoxidation of the treated material and insures safe discharge.

The. furnace head or port of the drum B supports the main burner H which can be moved so that it will cover with the flame the inner wall of the smelting drum B in an axial direction to prevent the formation of deposits. the disintegrator 48 a piping-53a leads to the coal dust supply piping 53 of the burner H, so that the powdery matter produced in the disintegrater 48, owing to the suction developed in the burner, is directly conveyed in a state of suspension to the i'laxne.l 'Ihe main burner H is secured to the furnace door 54, capable of being lowered and'raised, so as to render the furnace head accessible for repairs. The rotary drum B is driven by a 'separate motor 55 and discharges, under the action of the main burner H, the liquid metal from the pre- From below `phosphorus, through thev addition of quicklime,

etc., are separated in the form of slag, and recarburization and possibly also alloying may take place. The waste gases developed during these steps and alsoin the compartments B, C, D pass through 'a hot blast stove 52a arranged in front of the waste heat boiler 52. 'I'he parts C and D are separately driven by a three-phase motor arrangement 59, 59a and mounted on a travelling platform 59h which is used during repairs. The tuyre member for drum C is removable to permit renewal of the lining.

Continuity ofthe process can be attained without difdculty by correspondingly dimensioning the chambers A, B, C, D as to length and imparting properly related speeds to them. Instead of being superposed as shown. the pretreatlng chamber A' may also be disposed on the side or in front of the smelting, ning and rening drums axially tting into one another. In this case, the

transition chamber E would remain; though slightly changed in structure.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Patent is:

1. The method of treating ores for the production of iron and steel which comprises providing an elongated tapering smelting chamber disposed horizontally, introducing in a whirling around the first chamber from the larger to the smaller end of the first chamber.

4. The method for the continuous treatment of ores for the 'production' of iron and steel which comprises nrst subjecting the disintegrated ore to a drying and roasting, then subjecting the ore to the action of a reducing name, then redisintegrating the ore and carryingY the same in a state of fine subdivision into the smaller end of an elongated tapered smelting chamber in a whirling smelting iiame directed axially through the chamber, carrying the smelted ore from the other end of the said chamber into a collecting chamv-ber and removing slag, then flowing the molten smelting ame at the smaller end of the chamber finely disintegrated ore with air and carrying the whirling flame and ore along the surface of the chamber wall toward the larger endthereof while rotating the chamber on its longaxis, collecting the smelted o re in a receiving chamber and eil-'eoting the removal oi' slag, then discharging the molten metal directly into a stone lined .purifying chamber and blowing oxygenated air through the molten metal while causing the same to now in a shallow stream over said stone lining. 2. The method -as set forth in claim 1 with the additional step of introducing coarser particles of preheated ore in to said -ilrst chamber adjacent to the smaller end thereof. 3. The method as set forth in heating ore to be vsubsequently introduced for smelting by moving said ore in a closed jacket claim l with the additional step of utilizing heat from the wall of the nrst mentioned chamber for drying and premetal in a thin stream from the collecting chamber through a lining chamber and subjecting the thin stream to' blasts of oxygenated air.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4' with the added step of mixing coal with the ore while the ore is subjected to the action of the reducing name.

6. The method of treating o res for the production of iron and steel which comprises the continuous and uninterrupted steps of moving the disintegrated ore through anelongated closed area while subjecting the ore to the action of a llame for the purpose of drying and roasting the ore, continuing the movement of the roasted ore through a continuing butl larger area through which said 'llame passes for reducing the ore, effecting the redisintegration of the ore into line and coarser particles, injecting said fine particles with air and a smelting flame under pressure axially into the smaller end of a horizontally disposed elongated smelting chamber along the wall of which the whirling smelting name travels toward the opposite end of the chamber, removing the molten metal from they said opposite end of the smelting chamber and removing slag therefrom, and flowing the molten metal in a thin stream through a ning chamber while forcing oxygenated air through the metal.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 with the added step of preheating the coarser particles of the redisintegrated ore by moving the same over and in contact with the exterior of the smelting chamber from the larger to the smaller end thereof and then introducing the preheated coarser ore particles into the smelting chamber adjacent the smaller end thereof to be acted up,- on by said whirling flame. l

8.,'I'he method as set forth in claim 6 with the added step of introducing coal for admixture with the roasted 'ore in the reducing zone for the ore.

JULIUS LOHSE. 

